Page 18 of Monster
With a curt nod of acceptance, he simply moved aside and allowed her to go on her way. It was only when she was safely inside her car that Eden allowed herself the joy of her momentary victory. It wasn’t much and it certainly wasn’t a victory over Dominic, but Eden took it for what it was.
A few hours later, her joyful mood took a hit, turning into hopelessness. No one seemed to be hiring. She’d gone to nearly ten different real estate agencies in the area, and they all had the same answer, “We’ll call you,” while inconspicuously shuffling her resume beneath the reject pile. Feeling like the world’s biggest failure, she stopped at Carver’s Grill to drown her sorrow in a cheeseburger, an order of fries, and a large chocolate milkshake. A bolt of panic rent through her at the prospect of having to subject herself to Dominic’s brand of mercy. Everything came at a price with him and what he wanted from her, Eden was not ready to pay. Pushing her fries around on her plate, she barely tasted her burger and her milkshake had turned to liquid some time ago.
“If your face were any longer, it’d be in that burger, honey.” Eden looked up into the smiling face of her scantily clad waitress before scrounging up a halfhearted smile. “Is the burger no good, hon? Carl can grill you up another one.”
Eden shook her head. “No it’s not the burger.” She sat up straighter, struck by a thought. “You wouldn’t happen to be hiring would you?” It was a desperate attempt. “I can…I can wait tables or wash dishes or—”
“How soon can you start? We just had one of our regular girls, Tina, quit on us a few weeks ago, and we’ve been sort of shorthanded.” Sheer dumb luck was on her side it seemed, and Eden wanted to whoop out in joy because finally something was going right.
“When do you need me?”
“Well, we get pretty swamped here on weekends, so we’ll need you then. The weekdays are covered, but I know Lena said we needed a few girls on the night shifts. But that’s something you’re going to have to discuss with her.”
“Lena…? Is she the manager?”
“Yup. She’s in the back. Come to the bar when you’re done, and you can talk to her then. But I’m pretty sure you’re going to get the job on the spot. You’re fucking gorgeous.” She leaned down slightly to stage whisper, “House rules: we only hire pretty girls. The customers love getting food from attractive waitresses, and we make good tips. I’m sure you’ll have no problem raking it in.”
“Thank you so much.”
She smiled prettily, eyes like sapphires gleaming. “Don’t sweat it. I was in your situation not too long ago and someone here gave me a chance. Just thought I’d pay it forward. Don’t forget to come by the bar when you’re done.” She turned to leave, but stopped. “I’m April, by the way.”
“Eden.” Eden retuned her smile.
Lena was a thirty something woman with skin like burnt sienna and exotic almond shaped eyes that made it difficult to discern her ethnicity, although if Eden had to guess she would say there were hints of African American roots there. She was Amazon warrior tall, with neat, tightly locked dreads that she’d gathered in a high ponytail. Her outfit differed slightly from the black daisy duke shorts, tight white tank top that had Carver’s Grill inscribed across the bust, and black low tops. She wore the same shirt, but rather than the shorts, her legs were encased in tight black skinny jeans that displayed spectacular curves. When she walked from around the bar, she took the empty seat adjacent to Eden and gave her the onceover, from the tips of her wedged soled shoes, to the top of her auburn head to finally meet Eden’s gaze.
“Why do you want to work at Carver’s?” she asked curtly.
Taken aback, Eden froze for a second; unsure of whether this was an interview, she scrounged for a response, “I…uh…I need a job?”
She raised a perfectly arched brow. “Are you asking me?”
Color shot to Eden’s cheeks. “I need a job,” she said with a little more conviction. “I’m a really hard worker and I can do whatever you want me to do. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty—”
“So you wouldn’t have a problem cleaning up bathrooms? We have very exuberant customers here and they love their alcohol, but some of them can get a little sloppy. Puke…urine…”
Eden hesitated, trying to tamp down her disgust and find a suitable response. “I have a three month old, so if I can clean up after him, I’m sure I can handle whatever slovenly mess I have to.”
Lena snorted. “Trust me, sweetheart, cleaning up your baby’s shit isn’t nearly as bad as some of the things that go on in these bathrooms. But luckily for you, we have a cleaning staff to handle that. April was right, you do have a beautiful face so that’ll definitely play in your favor; it’ll bring in good tips. We have a community tip jar and at the end of every shift the girls divide their tips. Work the outfit, charm the hell out of your customers, and you’ll make good money. If you’re on the prudish side, I suggest you leave that at the door. You’ll get more pinches and pats on the ass than you’ve ever gotten in your life. If you have a jealous boyfriend, tell him to stay the hell outside until you’re done with you shift. Carver doesn’t put up with that shit. Any question?”
“Who’s Carver?”
“Carver is the owner. He comes around mostly on the weekends. Big guy, tattoos and piercings, you can’t miss him. Any other questions?”
“Do you I have the job?”
Finally Lena smiled. “Yeah, toots, you’re hired. Come by tomorrow night and we’ll fill out the paperwork. If everything goes well, I’ll put you in the schedule this Friday.”
“That fast?”
Lena frowned. “Is that a problem?”
Eden shook her head, taking a deep breath. “No…no, it’s not a problem and thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Just be here tomorrow.”
Just like that—that quickly—and her life was once again back on track. A flurry of excitement and anxiousness rushed through Eden on her drive home. The hours were going to be long, strenuous, but Eden wasn’t afraid of a little hard work. Her mom had worked three jobs to support them, and even then it hadn’t been enough, but Eden was determined to provide a better life for her son. This was only a temporary thing until she landed a real estate job. Eden wanted to return to school. She needed to know business if she wanted to open up her own real estate brokerage firm, which was ultimately her goal. Waitressing was just a pit stop. It wasn’t real estate, and it sure as hell wasn’t stripping, and the money was nowhere near the former or even the latter, but it was something. It was a way for Eden to make her own money, and regardless of how long it took her to scrimp and save, she would regain everything Dominic took from her.
Chapter Nine
